Start your rice first. Add 1.5 cups long grain white rice, 2.25 cups water, 1 teaspoon kosher salt, and 1 teaspoon minced garlic to a medium saucepan. Bring to a boil over high heat with the lid on. Once it boils, turn heat to low and set a timer for 10 minutes. Turn off the heat and let it sit covered for another 10 minutes before fluffing.

Brown the meat. Place a 12 inch skillet over a burner and set the heat to medium high. Add 1.5 teaspoons of toasted sesame seed oil and swirl to coat. Once hot, add 1 pound of lean ground beef. Stir and break up the meat into small pieces. Cook until completely browned, about 5 to 8 minutes. Turn heat down to medium. If you didn't use lean meat, drain the grease now.

Add seasonings. Smash the garlic cloves and mince finely to get about 1 tablespoon. Grate or mince the ginger to get about 1 tablespoon. Add the garlic, ginger, and 0.5 teaspoon red pepper flakes to the pan.

Stir everything together and cook for 1 to 2 minutes over medium heat until the garlic and ginger are very fragrant.

Add sauce ingredients. Pour in 0.25 cup low sodium soy sauce, 1 teaspoon fish sauce, and start with 2 tablespoons brown sugar. Stir well and let it cook for a minute. Taste it and decide if you want it sweeter. I usually add 2 more tablespoons to make a full 0.25 cup. You can also add salt or black pepper to taste, but remember the soy sauce is salty.

Add green onions. Turn off the burner. Chop the bunch of green onions or use scissors to snip them directly into the pan. Mix about three quarters of the onions into the beef to let them wilt slightly. Sprinkle the rest over the top for serving.

Prep the veggie toppings if using. Slice the carrots into matchsticks, slice the cucumbers, and slice the radishes very thin. Steam the edamame in the microwave according to the bag instructions.

Assemble the bowls. Add rice to bowls and top with the warm beef. Add the fresh veggies, reserved green onions, and sesame seeds. Make the optional sriracha mayo by mixing 0.5 cup mayonnaise with 1 to 3 teaspoons sriracha sauce, then drizzle over the top.